The correct appliance is a router, which is specifically designed to interconnect multiple networks and forward packets based on IP addresses. Routers operate at Layer 3 (Network layer) of the OSI model and make intelligent forwarding decisions to ensure data reaches the correct destination network.
A. Firewall can also forward traffic, but its primary function is security, not routing efficiency.
C. Layer 2 switches connect devices within the same LAN but do not forward packets between different networks without routing capability.
D. Load balancers distribute traffic among servers but are not general-purpose routers.
Modern enterprise routers are optimized to minimize latency by using fast switching and hardware acceleration, making them ideal for interconnecting logical networks securely and efficiently.
References (CompTIA Network+ N10-009):
Domain: Network Infrastructure — Routers, Layer 3 devices, inter-network communication.
